Review: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Is it just like Forrest Gump? Pretty dang close. War? Check. Sweet, beloved ma? Check. Southern setting? Check. Main character with some affliction that makes him different but more appreciative of this world? Check. Flawed but beautiful love interest who “gets” said character from early youth? Check.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is not perfect. It appears to be stolen from a previous multiple Oscar-winning flick (writer Eric Roth penned both), and the subplot — of an old lady on her death bed and her daughter — is set in New Orleans minutes before Hurricane Katrina hits. Completely unnecessary.
But that doesn’t matter. “Button” will stick with an audience long after the credits role. The story is of a child born an old man, with the afflictions of an old man, who ages in reverse. The visual affects and makeup necessary to make such a feat believable are stunning — as are the actors. When Brad Pitt, who plays Button, is shown on screen as a thirty- or fortysomething man — when his true age meshes with his physical age — the audience around me gasped. God, he’s pretty. When Cate Blanchett, who plays love-interest Daisy, is first shown as a — it must be said — bitchy dancer of 23, I snuck a glance at my boyfriend. His face was absolutely lit up; this movie showcases Blanchett at her most beautiful. It doesn’t matter that a computer had to generate her back to a girl in her early twenties — she has a flawless complexion, rosy lips and perfect red hair. It’s the stuff of portraits, hung on a Paris museum wall.
These visual effects only enhance Button’s story. It’s simple, really: a man discovering the world as he discovers himself. It almost sounds cheesy. But the audience feels every awe, every wonder, every heartbreak, with him.
– Jaclyn
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If you’ve seen the movie, what did you think? Leave a comment below.
